Dilema from assembly mistake.

MIDIbox SID
1

Hi Everyone,

Been busily completing my MB6582 build. Base board went together without issue with everything (all 8 sids), working correctly on first power up (awesome machine!).

I finally got all the remaining parts for my control surface last week and have put it all together. All was going well there too until Sunday afternoon when the Mrs was hounding me to do other more important things (like grocery shopping)! Arrrrgggh.

In my haste I put the panel on my CS, compete with flat LED’s etc, everything in place, LCD mounted and Waldorf knobs installed, all ready to go. Obviously NOT following Hawkeye’s instructions at this point due to the implied rush and having read them a few times.

What I’ve stupidly done is assembled everything before putting it in the pactec case. Assuming the CS board and panel would slide into the pactec from the top, then be screwed down onto the 4 corner tabs. Dunno why I was thinking this.

Of course this can’t be done as the panel needs to be mounted to the top of the case first with the CS board then being put onto the panel 1 final time, lining up the leds and buttons etc.

I figure DOH, ok, not so bad. I’ll just pull everything apart and do it the way it’s meant to be done. But herein lies the problem. I can’t get the knobs off without causing damage.

I’ve got a chip puller that I put either side of a knob, gives quite a firm grip on them, but I can’t budge the damn things. I pulled one so hard it actually ripped the encoder clean out of it’s metal mount (the ones used to disassemble the encoder to remove the detents). So I can’t put enough pressure on the encoders to get the knobs off.

This leaves me stuck. I have one possible option that is a little drastic and depends on the structure of the board but, theoretically, it should be possible to remove a square of the CS circuit board at each corner (Where the mount holes are), which should then let me slide the entire panel into the case with the CS panel sitting on the 4 corner tabs as it should (I have corner screw holes in the panel). I could then screw it into place and all would be well (sortof).

Short of that I’m not really sure what to do. I can really have at it essentially stuffing all my knobs and encoders until I can get the panel off. But I’ll then have to fix all the encoders (or de/resolder new ones), plus get 15 new knobs and there’s potential there to damage a perfectly well assembled control surface board and panel as well.

I can’t tell you how pissed I am with my self wife, for this terrible mistake right at the last step. I was literally finished had I mounted it on the case first.

Now I’m stuck.

If anyone has any secret method for removing encoder knobs I’m all ears. Would freezing them or heating them help?

I would like to get it apart anyway as I realised I also haven’t put a window above the LCD (not that it really needs it, but it would be nice), and I would like to JB Weld the encoders so those pins holding them together can’t move or get loose, but I can’t disassemble it at the moment.

I’ve seen posts where people removed the corner tabs from the pactec entirely (for those with screwless panels), but I’m not sure how the control surface can be mounted in that case?

Any and all help much appreciated.

Cheers,

Arkay.

2

can you detach the frontpanel from the pactec frame? i haven’t touched a pactec case so i don’t know how exactly it is.

in case you can, maybe you can try to get something like a ruler between the panel and the top of the encoder bodies? something that doesn’t bend and will hold them down, at least the first ones at the borders.

good luck

3

Thanks for the suggestion ;). Yes, I can get something in between to hold the top of the encoders, at least for the bottom row and possibly the menu encoder, will require another set of hands but I can get a loan of those. I can give it a try. Though I’m still concerned that I’ll have to pull too hard on the knobs and will likely damage them… Though they’re easily replaced I guess.

Cheers,

Arkay.

4

A typical job for Smithies world-class knob removal tool!

:slight_smile:

5

Oh yes, the EPIC video… :thumbsup: I wonder how long he tried until he got the soundtrack right!

6

LOL. Nice tool. But I fear for the strength needed to get these particular knobs off of these particular encoders it may have needed to be made of titanium infused kevlar, attached to a hydraulic arm. Seriously, I nearly jammed the panel in a door, tied them to the back of the car and drove away to get them off.

Good news is that I managed to hold the underside of 6 of them whilst reefing the knobs off the top through a combination of prying and using the chip puller and wiggling the knobs a bit.

As for the other 5 further into the center of the board that wasn’t as pretty. I had to reef on each one until the encoders separated from their holding pins and pulled tight onto the underside of the panel, then I could keep pulling until the knob came off. Surprising I didn’t do much damage.. Couple of tiny scratches on the knobs that I’ll never notice.

Having subsequently removed the panel from the control surface it’s actually not so bad. I re-crimped the encoders together, tested them all with a multimeter just to make sure but they’ll all fine, and I’m now gluing them with JB Weld so they can’t come apart again.

Does anyone know if you can still get (or where to get) those clear perspex windows I saw on some peoples MB6582’s?

I think I’ll lubricate the inside of the knobs next time so I can get them off easily if I want to install a window later on. For now I might either use some clear plastic from an overhead transparency or a cd jewel case, just to keep the lcd protected.

Cheers,

Arkay.

7

there have been some members cutting some for us, but that’s been some time ago and i don’t know if they still have their CNC.

but you can always have some plexi milled at places like Schaeffer or Frontpanel Express. if i remember correctly you’ll find the files that you can send them on Wilba’s MB6582 WIKI page and send them to Schaeffer etc.

(the windows files for the sequencer were posted on the respective wiki page and i could order right away. i guess same for MB6582)

8

Cool. Thanks. I’m building a sequencer next, parts on the way, so I’ll see if I can order panels and windows at the same time.

Cheers,

Arkay.